The report concludes that:
- Turkey has the necessary legal and organizational framework for the implementation of the control of aflatoxin contamination in dried figs for export to the EU.
- Public authorities as well as many actors in the production and marketing sector continue to promote the research and implementation of good agricultural practices for the prevention and reduction of aflatoxin contamination of dried figs at the farm level. However, there is currently no such approach to promoting good manufacturing practices in the processing and distribution sector.
- Shortcomings were noted in the implementation of control measures by the relevant local authorities, both in terms of sampling and issuing health certificates. The investigations performed by local competent authorities, of non-compliant consignments found in the EU during import controls, are also not always adequate. The effectiveness of the HACCP plans (and related own-checks) implemented by the processors involved are also not called into question in view of the recurrence and high number of notifications.
- These shortcomings call into question the ability of Turkey's current control system to verify that exported dried fig consignments meet the limits set by Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 and to reduce the number of registered notifications.
The full report can be consulted here.